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Sunday 12/28/25
Title: A New Year’s Resolution of Trust
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A New Year’s Resolution of Trust
As I was thinking about our series on Faith, wondering and seeking what to address next as we enter into a New Year, the topic of trusting our life companion – the Holy Spirit came to mind.
As important as this is, and it really, REALLY is important – I think less is more on this topic, at least in this initial first sitting.
Like all our relationships with God and man, our specific relationship with the Holy Spirit is more caught than taught. At least for those who are living with their eyes wide open, looking for it. It is a relationship of expectation and trust in His presence, purpose, inner influence and power toward us. The most important of which is our awareness of what to expect (anticipate) in our relationship with our Helper and Comforter and our trust in His commitment… His faithfulness to accomplish it.
So I want to open up with a passage we’ve recently covered in our Wednesday nights Treks ‘Thru the Bible’ in Proverbs chapter 1. We will be reading verses 20-33.
Now before we read, I want to be very clear. This passage is talking about wisdom and not specifically the Holy Spirit – though without question, the Holy Spirit is the primary voice of wisdom in a believer’s life. The reason I am making this distinction is to avoid being dogmatic about something only suggested in this passage. Solomon several times employs a literary device in his wisdom literature which is poetic in nature, where he personifies Wisdom. In Chapter 8 he goes so far as to refer to Wisdom as a spirit.
Now we know there are various spirits God created as we have seen them mentioned throughout scripture. BUT WHAT we know is far too little to start making dogmatic claims about. So I don’t want to make the mistake of claiming the ‘Spirit of Wisdom’ is not a real spirit independent from but created by God. That it is just a literary device used to make a point. But neither do I want to claim that this is only referring to the Holy Spirit by another name. Because even though the Holy Spirit, like I said, is a major source of wisdom in our lives, that does not mean there is not an actual ‘spirit of wisdom’, created by God. So I want to be careful.
All that being said, what is written here would apply in either case, but you MUST pay attention to who is being addressed and what is being offered. That is why we are here.
Proverbs 1:20-33,
“(20) Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas; (21) at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words:
(22) “How long will you simpletons love naiveté?
How long have mockers delighted in mockery?
And how long will fools hate knowledge?
(23) You should respond to my rebuke. Then I would pour out my thoughts to you; I would make my words known to you.”
I believe we have ample evidence of this being true of the Holy Spirit in the life of God’s children as well. I am reminded of Hebrews 3:7 which quotes Psalm 95:7-8 to say. “Therefore the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you will hear His voice and not harden your hearts like Israel in the rebellion in the wilderness” [paraphrased from Hebrews 3:7, 15 & 4:7]
So we need to see what is being offered and under what conditions.
If we are lacking understanding. If we are needing help in our ignorance or flat out naïveté He IS speaking to us. We need not ask Him TO speak, for He already is!
First lesson on faith – Do you really, honestly believe this? This is a MAJOR point of trust. If we fail to trust Him here, we need not attempt to go any further!
MUCH of our worrying, concerns, anxieties, frustrations, lack of direction and fears come DIRECTLY FROM not trusting these words are true. Plain and simple!
The promise here is, “You should respond to my rebuke. Then I would pour out my thoughts to you; I would make my words known to you.”
The words translated as “I would pour out” is one Hebrew word and knowing its grammatical construction helps us here. In Hebrew it is known as the Hiphil cohortative which means it is in the Causative Stem and in the Volitional Mood and is expressed in the first-person. So this is saying that HE is making a DEVOTE resolution to pour out wisdom on those who respond.
Furthermore the word “out” as in “pour out” is נַבע nāḇa‛ (naw-bah) and means to gush forth, to spew out, to pour out, to bubble out. All of this indicates a well under pressure which only needs a point of release to come gushing forth!
So implied in the words is what Jesus said to the woman at the well. My words will be IN YOU an artisan well SPRINGING UP into eternal life! Now you need to understand this as literal. The phrase “My words will be in you a well springing up” in John 4:14 is translated by many interpreters as a perpetual, bubbling artesian well that springs up of its own accord and DOES NOT NEED to be pumped.
The imagery is significant and indicates a constant, internal source of God’s words to us which connect us relationally to Him in the form of “eternal life” and that such is provided by the internal work of the Holy Spirit, flowing up from within a believer.
Again I ask, do you really believe this? Is this your expectation when you come?
The next word in Proverbs 1:23 is “I”, which also means the next word is not “you”!
If the next words were “you” it would place the burden of pumping and drawing up the waters of wisdom on your own, but the burden is NOT yours it is His!
He says in verse 23, “I would make my words known to you”.
That removes all our excuses right there! All that remains is a need to expect and believe!
The power to hear and the power to cause understanding are HIS ALONE!
You see, just like we learned last week with Israel’s expectations causing them to miss the “bread or Manna from heaven” when He came, we too miss the interventions of our Helper by our anemic expectations. You know what I mean when I use the word anemic metaphorically like that don’t you? “Anemic” used metaphorically describes anything lacking strength, vigor, life, or substance. Our expectations are weak, begardly and lack a robust anticipation of life!
We find ourselves asking things like, “Lord make sure you speak loud enough for me to hear.” But this passage already tells us that He knows when to raise His voice.
Afterall, His goal is for you to turn – repent – change your mind when He speaks. Do we really think He needs reminding that His volume level might play a role in our hearing?
- If we are in the clamoring streets He says I know that and so in those places I “cry out” to get YOUR attention. You have it backwards if you think you’re trying to get His attention.
- In the busy market place He “raises His voice”.
- In our quiet moments when we draw away to be intentional about our pursuit of Him, He speaks in a still, small voice.
What is decidedly NOT on the table for the child of God who is honest in their need and in their worshipful seeking, is a Holy Spirit that fails to speak!
But again the real issue is not whether He does or not, the question is – do you believe it! Do you expect it?
When you go to Him, do you trust in the intentions of His good heart towards you to NOT be silent!
Well Pastor Mark it isn’t that I don’t trust His ability to speak, but my ability to listen.
Let me just say that even though I have thought and said the same thing, in all honesty such a statement is intellectually dishonest! Either He is “crying out” and “Raising His voice” sufficiently or He’s not. Let’s not insult Him by insinuating that our ability to hear was not great enough, to overcome His failure to speak loud enough.
The real issue is what this passage goes on to say and it has nothing to do with volume, but rather the baggage we bring into our times of seeking.
“(24) Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, (25) because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, (26) I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, (27) when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
(28) Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
(29) Because they hated knowledge and did not CHOOSE the fear of the LORD, (30) would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, (31) therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.
(32) For the SIMPLE are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; (33) but WHOEVER LISTENS TO ME will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
These are strong words, but they are loving words of direction and purpose as well.
Again we find ourselves mentally drawn to Jesus’ teaching of the heart soils and the ONLY ONE which bore fruit. You realize that there were 4 hearts altogether and out of them ONLY ONE heard nothing. Two heard but did not bear fruit. The fourth was the only one who did what these verses are instructing the hearer to do!
The MAIN point I am making is NOT to get caught up in all the ways to avoid getting this wrong, but rather focusing upon the ONE way to get this right and that BEGINS with believing He is talking and that you can hear!
This is fundamental to ANY relationship. It isn’t that you cannot actually hear your husband or your wife. The real question is do you have ears to hear WHAT they say!
Again, we go back to expectations.
In a natural relationship it is our expectations more than the words of those we know that actually affect us.
Every word others speak to us, must first funnel through the filter of our hearts before it reaches our cognition. So that the words others speak communicate largely what we expected to hear!
The key to communication is knowing the person and trusting them and the same is true regarding our relationship with the Holy Spirit as well.
- Do you trust His good heart?
- Do you believe His intentions are good?
- Do you believe He will accomplish what He was sent to do in and for you?
Let’s look at those things before we draw this to an early closing point.
Do you remember what the prophet Joel predicted would happen at Pentecost as interpreted by Peter in Acts 2:17?
“And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.”
What are these but promises of insight, understanding, wisdom and direction?
Sufficient for our study in faith this morning will be looking at Jesus’ words regarding the Holy Spirit in various verses throughout John 14-16.
As I have pointed out many times when reading these verses, we need to remember this conversation BEGAN right after Judas left the last supper in the upper room and continued until they reached the Garden of Gethsemane. Meaning these are the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before being crucified.
To press the issue even further this means that out of everything Jesus COULD have left them with, His dying words of significance to them was regarding their coming relationship with the Holy Spirit Who would replace Jesus as their Rabbi, Teacher, Guide, Helper and Comforter! Who would come upon them, and to live within them and NEVER EVER LEAVE!
He is the Person of the Godhead Jesus was referring to when He said He would never leave them or forsake them even to the end of this age!
The Holy Spirit is the One WHo will successfully carry us to the finish line in victory!
Since Hebrews 11:1 tells us that the job of our trust is to be an unshakable foundation beneath the God inspired expectations we have in God. Let’s see what we have been told we can expect in this relationship, so that we might be as resolute to expect as He is to promise!
John 14:1-31,
“(1) Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in Me.”
Now since trust, faith, belief is central to all we are learning this morning I would be remiss if I failed to point this out. The word “believe” is mentioned twice here and the construction of the Greek sentence is such that both could be translated as either indicative or imperative. This leaves us with a good number of possibilities.
Jesus might have been saying, “You DO believe in God, Do you also believe in Me?”
He could have been saying, “Do you believe in God, I know you believe in Me!”
Or He could be saying both as a question or both as a fact. Each possibility teaches us something! But I will leave that there for your further investigation later.
Then Jesus said,
“(2) There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you.”
Listen to that – “If it had been otherwise, I would have told you”! MAN I LOVE THAT!
What does that communicate to you? We are NOT on the outside, so that these things should be a mystery to us or a surprise in the future. “If it were not true, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU SO!”
Now listen to the death of otherness in the following verses. Jesus begins to talk in terms of intimacy, oneness, togetherness and desire for a future with us!
“(3) And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with Me, so that where I am you may be too. (4) And you know the way where I am going.”
Now STOP! What did Jesus just say?
“And you know the way where I am going”!
The next words spoken and the one who spoke them are significant and they might be familiar to you in how you respond to God’s words as well.
“(5) Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Well, Jesus just got done saying you do! Why do you believe otherwise?
“(6) Jesus replied,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (7) If you have known mMe, you will know My Father too. And from now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
“(8) Philip said,
“Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.”
(9) Jesus replied,
“Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known Me, Philip? The person who has seen mMe has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
(10) DO YOU NOTBELIEVE that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?
The words that I say to you, I do not speak on My Own initiative, but the Father RESIDING IN ME performs His miraculous deeds.
(11) Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me, but if you do not believe Me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves.
(12) I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in Me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father.
(13) And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask me anything in My name, I will do it.
(15) “If you love Me, you will obey My commandments. (16) Then I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever – (17) the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see Him or know Him. But you know Him, because He resides with you and will be IN YOU.
(18) “I will not abandon you AS ORPHANS, I will come to you.
(19) In a little while the world will not see Me any longer, but you will see Me; BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU WILL LIVE TOO. (20) You will know at that time that I am in My Father and you are in Me and I am in you.
(21) The person who has My commandments and obeys them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”
(22) “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “what has happened that You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”
(23) Jesus replied,
“If anyone loves Me, he will obey My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and take up residence with him.
(24) The person who does not love Me does not obey My words. And the word you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s Who sent Me.
(25) “I have spoken these things while staying with you. (26) But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in my Name, WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING, and WILL CAUSE YOU TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING I said to you.
(27) “PEACE I leave with you; My peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.
(28) You heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’
If you loved Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. (29) I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may BELIEVE.
(30) I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over Me, (31) but I am doing just what the Father commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up, let us go from here.”
Then in John 15:26-27 we are told,
“When the Advocate comes, Whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth Who goes out from the Father – He will testify about Me, (27) and you also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
Then in John 16 we are promised…
John 16:7-15,
“(7) But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you.
(8) And when He comes, He will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment – (9) concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see Me no longer; (11) and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
(12) “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) BUTwhen He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His Own authority, but will speak whatever He hears, and will tell you what is to come.
(14) He will glorify Me, because He will receive from Me what is Mine and will tell it to you. (15) Everything that the Father has is Mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what is Mine and will tell it to you.”
So we have received the Holy Spirit of God both within us and upon us and His PRIMARY mission is to teach, reveal, guide us into all truth! He is our advocate, helper and comforter.
My directive to you this morning is to spend time with these words which tell us what we can EXPECT from the Holy Spirit and then support that expectation with trust in Him.
The word “advocate” you are familiar with, it is the Greek word paráklētos it is a masc. noun from parakaléō (G3870), to comfort, encourage or exhort. It is properly a verbal adj. referring to an aid of any kind. The Greek writers use of this term was primarily as a legal advisor, pleader, proxy, or advocate, one who comes forward on behalf of and as the representative of another.
So I want you to come to know Him and as a result exhibit ongoing and systemic trust in Him. That belief be your default position in regard to Who He is in our lives.
Know and believe in His good heart towards you so that you will hear what He speaks, follow where He guides, release tension when He comforts and relinquish control where He helps
In other words, make a New Year’s Resolution of Trustin your Helper!
Blessings!
Tri
